Batsmen should take more responsibility: Dhoni

Adelaide, Feb 17 (IANS) Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni took his batsmen to task after another familiar collapse cost them the one-dayer against Australia here Sunday. Indian batsmen failed to grab the advantage after their bowlers did a fine job by restricting Australia to 203 for nine and folded up for just 153 at the Adelaide Oval.

Dhoni minced no words in making his disappointment known to the team and said the batsmen will have to take the cue from the bowlers, who have performed exceedingly well in the tournament.

“The batsmen will have to take the initiative and play with more responsibility. Our bowling and fielding has been good and now its time for the batsmen to perform. They are still learning but in bits and pieces and at this level you have to be consistent,” Dhoni said after the loss.

Dhoni said it was more important for the batsmen to take up the responsibility since they were fielding five bowlers and were one batsman short.

“It is always a gamble. When the batsmen are doing well then it pays off. We were playing five bowlers and it becomes important for the batsmen to take up the responsibility. There are still three matches for us to go in the league and it is an open tournament now,” he said.

Dhoni stood by his decision to send Irfan Pathan up the order, saying it adds to the strength of the batting order.

“Irfan coming at number three adds more depth to the batting order. And it also gives stability to the batting line-up,” he said.

Dhoni, who batted with a runner and was ultimately run out, said that he had pulled his calf muscle and did not want to take a chance with so much cricket left in the tri-series.

“I pulled up my calf muscle of both the legs and I preferred a runner because I did not want to get injured and sit out of the next match. But even with the cramps, I thought, I could have reached the ground,” he said on the run out.

“Taking a runner is not a good option, I learnt today,” he said on a lighter note.

On his preference of Munaf Patel, Dhoni said he is a kind of bowler who knows which areas to ball.

“He does not think too much. You set him a field and he will bowl to that. With somebody, like Sreesanth in the side, it is difficult. So I thought of giving Munaf a chance,” he said.